Bad development

September 21, 2017Letters to the Editor

Historic Harmony, a village settled in 1805 is e periencing a threat to its quaint, historic setting as a proposed housing development looms as a prospect on the opposite side of the Connoquenessing River in Jackson Township.

The negative impact to this historic community ould be felt as increased traffic congests its narrow streets adding noise and pollution to a peaceful ommunity. Parking, which is already compromised, would add to the woes of streets choked with traffic as the proposed community of 451 residences doubles the size of Harmony.

Bordering the proposed development is a river walk trail that was formerly used by the Delaware Indians, then George Washington en route to Ft. Le Boeuf and later still remaining as the original roadbed of Route 19 over which munitions were carried from Pittsburgh to Erie in the War of 1812. This trail leads to a historic 1825 Mennonite Meetin House, now on the National Register. The Meeting house would then overlook a dense housing development and the developer plans to change the river walk into an emergency access road.

The flood plain that would be developed would eradicate the former fields used by the Harmonists to graze their Merino sheep and cultivate their vinyards. Currently those fields are home to white tailed deer, red fox, countless bird species and a wide variety of trees.

These fields should be left as an interpretative Iandscape developed by the Harmonists as they began their new life in America and as an open space for trail hikers and Harmony residents and visitors seeking respite from their hectic lifestyles.